The Macquarie Point Development Corporation says the proposed 23,000-seat, roofed stadium will be a “premier entertainment destination”.
But former Tasmanian music promoter Charles Touber, who brought AC/DC to Tasmania in 2001, said the belief that international acts would play in Hobart was “an exercise in fantasy” unless the concerts are “massively underwritten”.
Mr Touber gave evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on 28 November 2023. An excerpt from that evidence:
“I think this is a mathematical exercise. Does it add up? Does it make sense? I think the whole project has been reverse-engineered from a concept to making a rationale for it. I think the rationale has been kicked down the stairs to some juniors to try to fill in some box to ask how are we going to get this number of people? Well, you can’t.”
Click below to read the full transcript of his evidence.
“They can put whatever image they want out, but the point is it's just a bad idea.” Charles Touber’s sane voice in a world of PR driven fantasy. @AFL is struggling to find a good news angle on its unwanted proposed Hobart stadium. #nonewstadium https://t.co/jBBzPtH1kx
— 💧Roland Browne (@slowguns) August 13, 2024